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Prospectus - Notowania

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- 64 -<br />

RISK FACTORS<br />

In order to cover any potential risks which might arise from the legal action taken<br />

against the Company (not labour law or tax related or pertaining to debt recovery)<br />

which is pending, as at September 30, 2009 the UniCredit Group has a provision for<br />

risks and charges amounting to around €1.2 billion. However, it cannot be excluded<br />

that this provision may not be sufficient to fully cover the charges and the requests for<br />

compensation and refunds associated with the pending cases.<br />

Consequently, it cannot be excluded that a possibly unfavourable outcome of these<br />

proceedings may have negative effects on the balance sheet, income statement and/or<br />

financial situation of the UniCredit Group.<br />

A limited number of disputes also exist, associated with debt recovery proceedings;<br />

these involve UniCredit Group companies which, on the basis of the above, could also<br />

lead to negative effects on UniCredit Group’s situation.<br />

Summary information is presented below with regard to, to the main proceedings<br />

underway. Further information can be found in the First Section, Chapter 20,<br />

Paragraph 20.8.<br />

(a) Legal action brought against UniCredit, its Chief Executive Officer and the<br />

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HVB (“Hedge Fund Claim”) and legal action<br />

furthered by Verbraucherzentrale (“VzfK Claim”)<br />

In July 2007, eight hedge funds (followed by minority shareholders of HVB),<br />

filed a petition with the Munich Regional Court, aimed at obtaining the<br />

compensation of damages allegedly suffered by HVB further to a number of<br />

transactions regarding the transfer of shareholding and business activities of<br />

HVB (after its inclusion within the UniCredit Group) to UniCredit or to other<br />

UniCredit Group companies (and vice versa). Furthermore, it was maintained<br />

that the costs for the reorganization of HVB should have been covered by<br />

UniCredit.<br />

The defendants called before the Court are UniCredit, its Chief Executive<br />

Officer, Alessandro Profumo and the former CEO of HVB, Wolfgang Sprissler.<br />

The plaintiffs requested the Court to: (i) order the defendants to pay, by way of<br />

damage compensation, the sum of €17.35 billion plus interest; (ii) ascertain that<br />

UniCredit be obliged to pay the minority shareholders of HVB a guaranteed<br />

periodic dividend as from November 19, 2005 onwards.<br />

The statements of defence of the defendants were filed at the Munich Regional<br />

Court on February 25, 2008.<br />

Furthermore, another minority shareholder of HVB, Verbraucherzentrale fur<br />

Kapitalanleger (“Vzfk”) – already owner of a non-significant shareholding in the<br />

company capital - started legal proceedings that were substantially similar<br />

towards UniCredit, its CEO, Alessandro Profumo and the then CEO of HVB,<br />

Wolfgang Sprissler (for an amount equal to €173,5 million plus interest) and the

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